Something incredible is happening this week in Alaska .

People in more than 170 communities -- from Anchorage to Allakaket -- are planning to hold public `` Choose Respect '' rallies in honor of survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence .

For the state with the highest rape rate in America , that 's a massively important undertaking . It sends a message to people in the state and across the country that silence is the poison that lets rape and sexual violence continue . That enough is enough .

`` We have extremely high rates of domestic violence and sexual violence in Alaska , '' said Katie TePas , a senior policy adviser to the governor . `` When victims and survivors see their communities standing up for them , they see a great deal of strength . ... And they see help , when they may not have ever sought help before . ''

It 's a topic about which I care a great deal -- and I know you do , too . CNN readers voted for me to cover rape in the United States as part of my Change the List project . After spending more than two weeks in Alaska , I published a series of stories about why the rates of sexual violence are so shockingly high there -- and what could be done to change that . My biggest takeaway : People have to talk about this difficult issue . Otherwise , too many victims who come forward are n't believed . And too many suffer in silence , thinking they 're to blame for what 's happened to them .

They 're not alone , and these `` Choose Respect '' rallies are just the sort of awareness-raising events that could push Alaska off the bottom of the list . The demonstrations -- which are coordinated by the office of Alaska 's Republican governor , Sean Parnell , and are sponsored by the state -- started in 2010 with only 18 communities participating , TePas told me . This year , she expects more than 170 communities . The rallies start Thursday and will continue through the weekend in some locations .

I hope CNN readers will join the state in demanding an end to the violence there and elsewhere . Take a photo of yourself with a sign that says `` Choose Respect '' and upload it to Facebook , Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #chooserespect .

The images will appear on this page -- and maybe in future coverage .

Parnell invited me to march with him in Alaska on Thursday . In a February 24 letter , he called CNN 's coverage of rape in Alaska `` exceptional '' and said it `` pulled back the curtain and cast a new light on the issue '' of sexual violence .

I 'm unable to attend , but I appreciate the invitation . As for his kind words about the series , CNN shares the credit with the brave people in Alaska who told me their stories -- and with the dozens of readers and viewers who shared their stories of survival in solidarity with Alaskans . You can read some of those harrowing and heartfelt accounts on this page : `` We are the 59 % . '' Fifty-nine percent of women in Alaska face intimate partner or sexual violence in their lifetimes , including threats of violence . That statistic should horrify every American . And it should provoke action , as it already has for many . After the series , Marie Claire , Mother Jones , Salon and others took up the issue , too .

On Thursday , as thousands of Alaskans are marching , my thoughts will be with all the incredible people I met on my trip to the state in December and those who shared their stories online . They will be with the people of Nunam Iqua , Alaska , which is one of a reported 75 communities that do not have any local law enforcement presence . A CNN reader started a petition asking the state government to change that . To date , I 'm told that request has not been heeded . People there do not have access to the same level of justice as elsewhere in this nation . Unless geography determines a person 's worth , that should change immediately .

`` Where are the boots on the ground in our village ? '' asked Russell Clark , principal of the school in Nunam Iqua and one of many people there who wants a local officer .

Currently , state troopers usually must fly in from other villages to respond to emergencies -- a process that takes 45 minutes at best and sometimes , in bad weather , can take days . The state troopers have told me they 're having difficulty finding someone who would take the job in Nunam Iqua . It 's a tough economy these days , and I 've been told funding is available for the position . If you 'd like to apply , e-mail me -LRB- ctl@cnn.com -RRB- and put `` Nunam Iqua '' in the subject line . I 'll be happy to connect you to the troopers .

My thoughts will be with the young people who helped organize a panel discussion in Anchorage called `` NO MORE '' -- part of a national awareness-raising campaign .

And , finally , my thoughts will be with Erin Merryn , a victim of child sexual assault from Illinois who , I 'm told by a local lawmaker , will be traveling Alaska this week campaigning for a bill that would require state school districts to teach about the warning signs of child sexual abuse . Currently , Alaska does not require school districts to teach that essential information or sex education . The bill -- `` Erin 's Law , '' which has been passed in ten other states , according to the group 's Facebook page -- is expected to come before the Alaska House education committee on Friday . I hope her upcoming testimony will encourage legislators to push this bill forward . The lawmaker who proposed the legislation , Rep. Geran Tarr , an Anchorage Democrat , told me she 's optimistic it can pass this session . She handed out copies of my articles , again , which CNN readers commissioned , in hopes representatives will realize the scope of this problem .

`` It 's really been a good conversation starter , '' she said of the stories . `` There 's too much coverage -LRB- for legislators to ignore sexual violence -RRB- . Once you start to be in national press for this , that really is a catalyst for change . That 's not the kind of notoriety you want for the state . ''

I do n't want to paint Alaska as an awful or isolated place . The stats are horrifying , as are many of the stories I heard . But sexual violence is a serious concern across the country , and states like South Dakota , Oklahoma , Michigan , New Mexico and Arkansas have rates of reported rape well above the national average . It does n't have to be this way . I will anxiously await photos from the `` Choose Respect '' rallies . Alaska is also a beautiful place full of strong people . And this week , all of us will get a chance to see them -- and , hopefully , you -- demanding a safer future .

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Alaskans will rally this week in 170 communities to end sexual violence

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Join them by uploading a photo of yourself and tagging it #chooserespect

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John Sutter recently featured Alaska as part of his Change the List project

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Alaska has the highest rate of reported rape in the country -- three times the U.S. average